Siena Tavern Miami[CLOSED]

After what seemed to be years in the making, Siena Tavern Miami opened its doors to the public this week. Owned and operated by Top Chef Alum and ladies man Fabio Viviani along co-owners Luke Stoioff and David Rekhson of Chicago’s DineAmic Group, the restaurant took over the massive 10,000-square-foot space once occupied by China Grill.

The restaurant’s rather vast menu is filled with Italian classics like its famous Wagyu Beef Meatball (so popular in Chicago that it has its own Twitter account), homemade pastas, meats and cheeses, wood-fired pizzas and rather hearty main-dishes such as 12-Hour Braised Ossobuco and 36-Oz Dry Aged Porterhouse. Desserts get interactive with Viviani’s signature Bomboloni, which are hole-less donuts made from mashed potatoes, (yes, mashed potatoes, but it works) that come with injection bottles filled with whiskey-carmel, chocolate hazelnut and raspberry to fill the donuts however you please.

Inside the restaurant is a bit more glamorous than its Chicago sister with a lighter color palate, plenty of crystal chandeliers and ample outdoor seating. The massive bar at the main entrance, similar in size and style to the one in Chicago, has bartenders creating numbered concoctions developed by the Bar Lab guys like the No. 4 made with Old Forester, coffee reduction, and orange bitters or the No. 9 made with Don Julio Blanco, sage, cucumber and lime. If cocktails aren’t your thing they also have a special Siena Brew created for them by the Wynwood Brewing team along with wine from Italy and beyond.

We got a first taste of the restaurant’s Miami menu. Check out the pictures below to get a glimpse of the dishes.